The local business sector says this year’s Christmas shopping season has been a bit slow.
Chamber of Commerce President Charla Robinson tells us they’ve heard several businesses say they think it’s due to competition from online stores. “Generally, the suggestion is that online shopping is having an impact on local businesses across a number of sectors.”
The chamber president adds stores that sell outdoor gear or personal services have told them that they’ve had a good month in the lead up to Christmas, but retailers that sell clothing or other traditional items have not.
Looking to Thursday, it appears Black Friday has taken some of the shine away from Canada’s traditional shopping holiday Boxing Day. Robinson tells us December 26th isn’t as big as it once was 5 years ago, “traditionally it was that Boxing Day was when you started to see those 40 to 50% deals, but the reality is that most retailers have been offering those offers since the end of November because of Black Friday.”
The chamber president notes many of the deals on offer Boxing Day are similar to sales that were held before Christmas.
